Glue-applying apparatus for packaging machines



Nov. 17, 1953 R. E. TAGGART GLUE-APPLYING APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Aug. 18, 1951 2 SheetsSheet 1 Li INVENTOR.

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GLUE-APPLYING APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Aug. 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm. L

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Patented Nov. 17,. 1953 GLUE-APPLYING APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Robert E. Taggart, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Lynch Corporation, Anderson, Ind;, a corporation of Ohio Application August 18, 1 951,Serial No. 242,504

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a glue-applying apparatus and particularly one for applying glue to a flap of a package being wrapped in a packaging machine, the herein disclosed apparatus being particularly adapted for a packaging machine of the kind disclosed in a general way in the Stevens Patent No. 2,292,487 of August 8, 1942, and in the Doepel and Wiley application, Serial No. 103,875, filed July 9, 1949.

One object of the present invention is to provide a glue-applying apparatus which, in addition to being readily adjustable for different sizes of packages, is adjustable to a position for removing a gluepot assembly unit from the apparatus so that such unit can be soaked in water and any dried glue thereby softened so that it can be readily cleaned off as by brushing.

Another object is to provide a glue-applying apparatus which in itself is in the form of a unit that can be mounted on one side of a machine'for applying glue to one end of a package, a similar assembly being mounted on the opposite side of the machine for applying glue to the other end of the package, each unit having its own motor drive so that one unit is mechanically independent of the other, the two motor drives being in the form of synchronous motors so that the speed of the glue-applying rollers driven thereby may be matched in surface speed with the transportation of the package past the gluing apparatus, which transportathe assembly thus cleaned for another days run.

A further object is to provide a gluepot and glue-applying roller so designed and associated with each other as to effectively apply a film of glue to a package being wrapped, with the thickness of the filmof glue being adjusted as desired by a novel wiper blade arrangement.

Still a further object is to provide a'carriage and gluepot assembly that can be adjusted by means of a scale and pointer arrangement in a minimum of time to suit various sizes of packages, the arrangement being such that the carriage can be adjusted beyond the maximum position for moving the gluepot assembly to a position where a gluing unit thereof may be readily removed from the carriage and the entire unit then soaked in water for softening the glue.v

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my glue-applying apparatus, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: I

-Figure 1 is a plan view of glue-applying apparatus embodying my present invention.

tion is likewise accomplished by synchronous motor means, thereby coordinating the operation of each assembly with the packaging machine and properly applying the glue to the packages being transported past the gluing apparatus.

Still another object is to provide glue-applying apparatus in which there is a supporting bracket provided with guide means, a carriage mounted on the guide means for adjustment both for size of package and to a gluepot-removing position, and a glue-applying mechanism mounted on the carriage and including a gluepot unit readily removable from the carriage and so designed that the entire unit can be soaked in water without detriment to any of the parts thereof, thus softening the glue so that it can be readily removed at the end of a days run. In this connection many previous gluing mechanisms include gluepots, glue-applying rollers and the like which are permanently attached to the machine and which are very difiicult to clean after glue dries on them. With my arrangement the gluepot and all associated mechanism on which glue might dry is removable so as to facilitate the Figure 2 is a rear elevation of Figure 1, partly in section on the line2-2 of Figure 1. p

Figure 3 is. a perspective view of a partially wrapped package showing the position .of the parts at the time glue is applied by my glueapplying apparatus.

Figure 4 is also an elevation, this figure being taken in the opposite direction relative to Figure 2, and thereby being a front elevation.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 2, showing the removable gluing unit of my glue-applying apparatus.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line '!'I of Figure 2 showing particularly a Wiper blade coasting with a glue-applying roller.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the removable gluing unit of my glue-applying apparatus.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the glue-applying roller shaft; and

Figure 10 is a plan view similar to a portionof Figure 1 but with the glue-applying roller and a shield plate omitted but shown by dotted lines.

On the accompanying drawings I have used upon the excess glue can be brushed off, and' of the frame of a packaging machine. The packaging machine includes a package receiving table 2| shown in Figure 2 and a topp1ate22 above the package which is shown generally at P. An end plate 22a is provided for the end of the package and has a flange 2 la that acts as a bottom plate.

I providea-supporting bracket 23 having .bosses 24 andfl spaced frorm each rot-her. Two1ofthe brackets are provided, one on the right side and one on the left side of the machine. Guide rods 26 extend between the bosses 24 and 25 and are for a carriage shown generallyab a The carriage C has a pair of hubs'29 4see-figures 5 and 2) in which .bearingsleevesaifl are.

mounted for sliding movement on theguiderods 26. A clamp ring 3| is also provided in one of the hubs against which a clamp screw 32 is adapted to engage when a handlflmnthetlamp screw is manipulated, thus distorting the-z ring 3| so that it clamps firmly on its guide rod 26 and decks vthecarriage .C'in the desired adjusted position. Mounted on the bracket23 is a scale 34 numbered suitably as for instanceinin'ches todesignatefthe size of the package towhich the glue-applying apparatus is arfiusted. A; pointer '35 on the carriageC. cooperates with the scale 34 'for this purpose.

The carriage C is;provided with a third hub 36- above' the hubs 29 in which a. drive sleeve 31 .is rotatably mounted. .The hub 36has afi ange to which is secured a speed reducer 39 by means .ofcap. screws". "The speed reducer 'in turn supports a motor M having a flange secured by bolts42. to the speed reducer. The slow. speed -means of three countersunkscrews 52 'shown'in Figure 8 andafbrace rod" 53. 'The" brace rod 53 is a secured to the'wall" 49' by a screw '54 and" the wal15l is in turn. secured to the:brace'rod by a countersunk screw 54a.

The gluing unit furtherincludes a glue applyingroller. 56 and a glue-applying roller shaft-51. The shaft. has a reduced'end 58 to which the roller 56 is securedas by a set screw 61-; (see Figure 2) and a reducedend 59 toenter the drive sleeve 31. The reduced end 59, shown in Figure 9, has. a slot 60 to receive. the drive"pin"45. The

shaft 51 is journaled in bearing sleeves 62 the hub 46 as shown best in Figure 2. .The" plate 2la has a slot 2lb' for the roller- 56.

The gluepot 4'|-48-'-49- 50-'-5I 'hasaslot', the slot back being shownrat 63 in Figure 10, one'side 1 thereof at. and the. other side thereof at65.

The side 65 is formed by the shield. plate-5| and the slot is substantially the same width as the glue-applying roller56 so as to eliminate the leakage of glue out of the gluepot past" the-sides of theglue-applying roller.

'The periphery of the roller 56' is preferably knurled so as to pick up a desired amount of .glue, and I provide a wiper blade 66 shown particularly in-Figure 'Lhaving a wiper end .13 substantially. the same angle and curvature as the periphery. of the glue-applying roller 56. The blade 56 is provided with a slot 61, and a clamp screw 68 and washer H serve to cooperate therewith for holding the wiper blade 66 in any desired adjusted position of tightness with respect to the .periphery of .the glueeapplying roller for thus "adjustingthe thickness ofthafllmof glue carried out of the gluepot by the roller.

For adjusting the wiper blade 66, I provide a set screw 69 engageable against a projection I0 :lofitheawiperihlade. A set screw is threaded in a boss 1! of the gluepot and the adjustment of the-set screw is retained by a lock nut 12.

lReferring'tojligures 8 and 10, the gluing unit GU includesra'flange 15 having a locating shoulder 16. The shoulder I6 is adapted to fit a counterbore' ll of'thehub 36 (see Figure 2). The hub has a flange 18 against which the flange 15 engages. A locating pin 19 extends into both flanges Y15 and 18 as shown in Figure 2, below the shaft'5l. 'On'the opposite side of the-shaft a wing screw-"' extends throughthe flange l5 and is'threaded into the flange 18.

Practical operation In the operation of my glue-applying apparatus, the carriage C may be adjusted to the farthest -out- (dotted)- position with the pointer35 at the position 35a in-Figure 2 before the wrapping machine is adjusted forthe size of package on which the-machine is to operate. The clamp screw 32,

of course, is loosened for this purpose.

The machine may then be adjustedwhich includes adjustment of the package receiving table 2| and the plates 22 andi22a of Figure 2 to the proper position for the size of. package to be -wrapped. -After the gluepot is. filled with glue, which maybe convenientlydone while the carriage is in this outermost position, the carriage is adjusted inwardly, that is, toward the side frame 20 of the packaging machine until the "pointer-35 is at the proper marking on the scale 34 for the package to be wrapped.

The machine. isstarted and the wrapper is wrapped thereby around the package Pas shown a in Figure 3 with the top flap 8| folded downv and the bottom'flap 82 ready to fold up. It is at this stage of the wrapping operation that glue 1 such as shown at 83 is to beapplied to theflap 82, .after which this flap'82 is bent up and glued against theflap 18l in an obvious manner by mechanism of the packaging machine which forms no part ofmy. present invention.

Referring to-FigureZ, the rear of the package -P is illustrated, that is, the package is traveling away from the observer, or in the direction of the arrow-85 in Figures. 1 and 3. The glue-applying-roller is rotating-in the direction of the arrow 84.at substantially the same surface speed as the travel of the 'flap.82. The end plate 22a serves to fold the flap .8! downwardly and hold it in position while the bottom flap 82 is being glued. The bottom flap passing under the glue- -applying roller 56 results in the roller depositing a'film of glue-83thereon, and after the package passes the roller, the wrapping machine bends up the flap-82, thusgluing it to the flap 8| and finishing the package.

The gluingunit disclosed is capable of operating throughout substantially an 8-hour day without attention, depending of course on the quality and consistency of the glue used therein. At the end of the day the gluing unit shown in "Figures 8 and 10'is quickly removable by unscrewing the wing screw. 80 .whereupon the, glu- 'ing unit'can be pulled away from the flange 18 with the shaft bifurcation 59-60 readily removable from the drive pin 45 and the flange E of the gluing unit coming off the locating pin readily. The entire gluing unit may then be soaked in water which will loosen the glue so that it can e readily brushed off the parts. This conditions the unit for another period of operation.

Depending upon the thickness of glue desired on flaps 8 or" the packages, which is usually required thicker on larger packages than on small ones, the wiper blade t6 be adjusted for securing the desired result. The removable gluing unit GU also makes it possible to have replacement 'units in case the wrapping or packaging machine is to operate continuously in which case one gluing unit can be soaking while another one is being used.

Some changes may be made in the construc-- tion and arrangement of the parts of my glueapplying apparatus without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In glue-applying apparatus, a supporting bracket adapted to be mounted on a packaging machine, guide rods having their opposite ends supported thereby, a carriage mounted on said guide rods between the supported ends thereof for adjustable movement toward or from the packaging machine and for movement to a gluepot removing position, and glue-applying mechanism mounted on said carriage and comprising a gluepot having a slot adjacent the bottom thereof, a glue-applying roller rotatable in, and downwardly out of said slot, a shaft journaled in said gluepot for supporting said roller, a wiper blade for the periphery of said glue-applying roller mounted in said gluepot on the bottom thereof and adjustable toward said glue-applying roller to vary the film of glue carried by said roller downwardly and out of said gluepot, and motor means mounted on said carriage and thereby movable with said gluepot and said glue-applying roller for rotating said shaft and glue-applying roller at a surface speed substantially equal to the speed of a package transported past said glue-applying apparatus by the packaging machine.

2. In a unitary glue-applying apparatus, a supporting bracket adapted to be mounted on a packaging machine, guide means supported thereby, a carriage mounted on said guide means for adjustable movement toward or from the packaging machine and for movement to a gluepot removing position, and glue-applying mechanism mounted on said carriage and comprising a gluepot having a bottom provided with a slot, a glue-applying roller rotatable in said slot, a shaft journaled in said gluepot for supporting said roller, a wiper blade for the periphery of said glue-applying roller mounted in said gluepot on the bottom thereof adjacent said slot and adjustable toward said glue-applying roller to vary the film of glue carried by said roller out of said gluepot, and motor means mounted on said carriage for rotating said glue-applying roller at a surface speed substantially equal to the speed of a package transported past said glue-applying apparatus by the packaging machine, said gluepot, glue-applying roller and shaft being removable as a sub-unit relative to said carriage and said shaft having a disengageable connection with said motor means to facilitate such removal.

3. In glue-applying apparatus, a supporting bracket adapted to be mounted on a packaging machine, guide means supported thereby, a carriage mounted on said guide means foradjustable movement toward or from the packaging machine and for movement to a gluepot removing position, and glue-applying mechanism mounted on said carriage and comprising a gluepot having a slot in the bottom thereof, a glueapp-lying roller rotatable in, and downwardly out of said slot, one wall of said gluepot constituting one side of said slot and acting as a shield plate between the side of the glue-applying roller and the package to which glue is being applied, a shaft journaled in said gluepot for supporting said roller, a wiper blade for the periphery of said roller mounted in said gluepot on the bottom thereof and thereby submerged in the glue, and adjustable toward said roller to vary the film of glue carried thereby out of said gluepot, and motor means mounted on said carriage for rotating said shaft and glue-applying roller at a surface speed substantially equal to the speed of a package transported past said glue-applying apparatus by the packaging machine, said motor means and said gluepot having coacting parts to axially align said glueapplying roller shaft with a shaft driven by said motor, and permitting removal of said gluepot, glue-applying roller and glue-applying shaft as a unit relative to said carriage and motor means, said shaft having a disengageable connection with said motor means.

4. Glue-applying apparatus comprising a supporting bracket adapted to be mounted on a packaging machine, guide means supported thereby, a carriage mounted on said guide means for movement toward or from the packaging machine, and glue-applying mechanism mounted on" said carriage and comprising a gluepot having a bottom provided with a slot, a glueapplying roller rotatable in said slot, one wall r of said gluepot constituting one side of said slot and acting as a shield between the'side of the glue-applying roller and the package to which glue is being app-lied, a shaft journaled in said gluepot for supporting said roller, a wiper blade for the periphery of said glue-applying roller, said wiper blade being mounted within said gluepot on said bottom thereof and adjustable relative to said glue-applying roller to vary the film of glue carried by said roller out of said gluepot, and motor means mounted on said carriage for rotating said shaft and glue-applying roller, said motor means and said gluepot having coacting parts to axially align said glue-applying roller shaft with a shaft driven by said motor, and permitting removal of said gluepot, glueapplying roller and glue-applying shaft as an assembly relative to said carriage and motor means.

ROBERT E. TAGGART.

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